Carriage-curtain fastener



(No Mo'del.)

T. H. G. B'EALL. CARRIAGE CURTAIN FASTENER- N0. 572,671. Patented Dec. 8, 1896.

In van 5027 McCordsville, in the county of Hancock and UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. o. BEALL, or MOOORDSVILLE, INDIANA.

CARRIAG E-CU RTAIN FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,671, dated December 8, 1896.

. Application filed July 1,1896. Serial No. 597,759. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. O. BEALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriage-Curtain Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip-.

tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in carriage-curtain fasteners, the object of the same being to provide a simple device of this kind by means of which the carriage-curtain may be readily, conveniently, and securely held against the side of the carriage and may be as easily detached when desired.

The invention consists of a clamp made in two parts, one of which is secured to the woodwork of the side of the carriage, is wedgeshaped or pointed at its outer end, has a 1ongitudinal recess on one side and a guide-groove on the opposite side, and the other part made up of a pair of arms pivoted together near their middle points, a spring for normally holding the inner ends of said arms closed, a lug or shoulder upon the inner surface of one of said arms which is adapted to fit within the recess in its companion piece, and a ridge upon the inner surface of theother arm adapted to engage the panion piece.

The invention also consists in other details of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this speciguide-groove in said comfication, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of a carriage, showing my improved curtain-fastener applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the two parts in their clamped position. Fig. 4 is a similar View of the part which is inserted into a stationary part of the carriage. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the part attached to the curtain.

Like reference-numerals indicate like parts in the different views.

My improved fastening device is adapted to be attached to any carriage and the curclearly shown.

tain thereof and is made up of two parts, one of which shall be termed in this specification the base-piece and is permanently secured in the woodwork or other stationary part of the carriage. The base-piece 1 has a threaded extension 2 at one end, by means of which it may be secured to the carriage. There the threads 2 terminate, a shoulder 3 is formed which acts as a stop to prevent the base-piece 1 from being inserted too far into the carriage. The said base-piece 1 is form ed with a pointed or wedge-shaped outer end, as shown at l, and with a recess 5 in one side thereof, as

On the opposite side a guidegroove 6 is cut for a pear later.

The other part of my fastening device I shall term a head-piece, the same being secured to the curtain 7 and made up of a pair of arms 8 9, pivoted together near their central points and having a coil-sprin g 10 thereon, which tends to normally hold the inner ends of said arms together. Surrounding the two disk or ring of metal 11, which is secured to the curtain 7 and has a cross-bar 12 thereon, which passes centrally through the coilspring 10. By this means the curtain 7 and the head-piece 1 are firmly attached one to the other. The inner surface of the inner end of the arm 8 has a lug or shoulder 13 formed thereon, whose inner edges are beveled, as clearly shown, and the adjacent surface of the arm 9 has a ridge or spline ll thereon, the said lug 13 and spline 14 being adapted to engage, respectively, when the two parts of my clamp are in locked position, the recess 5 and the guide-groove 6 of the basepiece 1.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have devised an extremelysimple device by means of which a curtain may be readily attached to and-detached from the sides of a carriage. To apply the device, it is merely necessary to pass the two arms 8 9 of the head-piece over the wedge-shaped end 4 of the base-piece, when said arms will be spread apart against the pressure of the spring 10, the spline 14 passing within the guide-groove 6 and the lug or shoulder 13 fitting within the recess 5. When it is desired to remove the same, the outer ends of the arms 8 9 are slightly compressed, which opens the inner ends of said arms and perniits the ready detachment of the two parts of the clamp. Buttons and buttonholes are dispensed with by the use of my invention.

While I have described my invention as being especially adapted for securing carriage-curtains in place, it is obvious that it may be used for curtains of any construction and for storm-aprons in vehicles.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein-described carriage-curtain fastener made up of a base-piece permanently secured to the side of the carriage, having a recess in one side thereof and a head-piece attached to the curtain made up of a pair of arms pivotally connected to each other, a spring for normally urging the inner ends of said arms together and a lug upon the inner surface of one of said arms which is adapted to fit Within the recess in said base-piece, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The herein-described carriage-curtain fastener, made up of abase-piece permanently secured to the side of the carriage, having a recess in one side thereof and a groove upon the opposite side, and a head-piece attached to the curtain, made up of a pair of arms pivotally connected to each other, a spring for normally urging the inner ends of said arms together, a lug upon the inner surface of one of said arms adapted to fit within the recess in said base-piece and a spline upon the adjacent surface of the other of said arms adapted to fit within the guide-groove in said base-piece, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The herein-described carriage-curtain fastener, made up of a base-piece having a threaded extension by means of which it may be attached to the side of the carriage, a shoulder adjacent to said threaded extension and a Wedge-shaped outer end having a recess in one side and a guide-groove upon its opposite side, and a head-piece, made up of a pair of arms pivotally connected to one another, a spring for normally holding the inner ends of said arms together, a lug or shoulder having a beveled outer end upon the inner side of one of said arms and adapted to engage the recess in said base-piece and a spline upon the adjacent face of the other of said arms adapted to fit within the guidegroove in said base-piece, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS II. C. BEALL.

Vitnesses HARRISON J ARVEN, W. A. PILKENTON, 

